Udayan Das is back on the blog
with a character sketch of Dante from the Devil May Cry series. He touches on
the games as well as the manga and anime in this article. Devil May Cry is a
series very close to my heart and it is something both Udayan and I are very
passionate about. I hope you will enjoy this writeup as much as Udayan enjoyed
writing it for you to read.
The Bilge Master
Under the Red Jacket
Game. Literally, an activity engaged in for pleasure or fun. Specifically, one
that involves some kind of challenge, which is either successfully overcome, or
not, determining victory or defeat. In today’s world, video games are as valid
a form of gaming activity as any other. With their immense popularity and the
growing reach of technology, more and more people are entering the seemingly
endless waters of video game world.
Video games however, do not begin and end simply as “sporting” activities. The
appeal of a game is not truly limited to the having a goal, and overcoming
obstacles to achieve it within a given set of rules. In other words, it isn’t
all about gameplay. Video games stand apart from other forms of playing in
their unusual ability to do one other thing.
Telling stories.
With the improvement in computer hardware, specifically processing and
graphical power, games are capable of visually depicting so much, often with
incredible degrees of realism. They are also much larger than they were in the
past, large enough to contain an entire, self-sufficient story, from premise,
to journey, to denouement.
Of course, in the end, gameplay still forms the core of what makes a “game”.
Hardcore players will often refuse to play a title unless it provides adequate
difficulty, and some will only play specific multiplayer titles because the
thrill for them lies in besting another human being.
In this exclusivist, meritocratic community of skill-based players, some games
are held in higher regards than others. Tekken, Street Fighter and Counter
Strike come to mind. Arenas where the best of the best pit their wits,
reflexes, dexterity and frame knowledge of their chosen sport against their
peers. But of course, multiplayer games aren’t the only ones held in high
regard.
Certain single player games, by virtue of their combat systems, challenge,
mechanical depth, and overall sheer fun factor, are considered legendary. And
nowhere is this more true than the hack ‘n’ slash genre. Combining massive
hordes of aggressive enemies that do insane amounts of damage, with a strong
lead character that’s as powerful physically as they are charismatic, a good
hack ‘n’ slash game is the ultimate combination of power fantasy and actual
challenge.
Needless to say, when one is playing as a certain Umbra Witch or super-powered
Ninja, one is far more concerned about pulling off sick combos than such
trivial concerns as “lore” and “plot”.
Right?
Well, I wonder.
Today, I’m here to analyse a game series that’s been praised since its
inception for the brilliance of its combat system. For the intensity, pace and
fluidity of its action and fights. For its cool lead character and uniquely
monstrous bosses.
I’m talking about the undisputed king of the hack ‘n’ slash genre. It’s name?
Devil
May Cry.
But I’m not going to talk about how deep its combo system is. How nearly all
moves can be seamlessly transitioned from one to the other. How they can be
cancelled in air to relentlessly attack in a symphony of button presses that
will push the limits of your dexterity. How it rewards creativity in combat,
and wants you to not only defeat your enemies, but look badass while doing it.
I’m not going to talk about the brilliant AI and arena design. I’m not even
going to talk about how downright beautiful Devil May Cry 5 looks (seriously,
it puts most Hollywood movies to shame with those graphics).
No, I’m not going to talk about the gameplay or graphics at all.
I’m going to talk about what is simultaneously DMC’s most celebrated, and
under-appreciated aspect. The single biggest factor behind its success, and
arguably one of the greatest achievements of the video game medium as a whole.
Dante.
Under-appreciated? Dante is one of the most recognizable characters in the
history of video games. With his trademark red jacket, two-handed sword, twin
handguns and silver hair, he boasts a look that’s instantly stylish and
memorable. Combined with his skills and attitude, he is the definition of what
the playable protagonist of a character action game should be.
How then, can such an influential character, who is so often imitated but never
replicated, be under-appreciated?
Well, the reason is that his design is actually too strong, to the point where most of the attention is focused on
his external aspects, and not enough to what lies inside.
Everyone knows what Dante is.
Almost no one knows who Dante is.
So who is he, really?
Dante is one of the twin sons born to a demon father, Sparda, and a human
mother, Eva. Sparda was an extraordinarily powerful being who single-handedly
fought the armies of the underworld and defeated their ruler Mundus, thus
protecting the human world. Closing the portal between demon and human worlds
came at a price. Most of Sparda’s own power was sealed off as well. A weakened
Sparda then settled down in our plane of existence, and later fell in love with
a woman named Eva.
The two lived together for a while, raising their sons.
This is where DMC’s brilliantly subtle writing hides its power.
Almost nothing is said about this
short period of time. Eight years to be precise.
What were those eight years like? What sort of a father was Sparda? Strict?
Doting? Was he able to relate to his mortal children? What was Dante’s
relationship like with him? Did Sparda ever personally train his sons? How did
Eva handle being the link between three uniquely difficult people? What was it
like for her to love a demon? Did she face discrimination and whispers? Was she
treated as a heretic? What was it like for Dante, being the son of that demon?
Did he have any human friends at all? Did he go to school?
We don’t know, and we likely never will.
Dante’s future is cruelly blighted when Sparda leaves the home.
This act wasn’t committed out of callousness: Sparda knew that the Demon
Prince’s followers were still after him. So he left, intending to draw them
away from his family, in order to keep them safe. Did Sparda survive? Is he
alive now? Again, we do not know. At the very least, Dante has not seen him
since, and it is always implied that he is dead.
This was the loss of a father figure in Dante’s life, a loss that would have a
deep impact on anyone. But more on that later.
Shortly after Sparda leaves, the home is attacked by demons. Without him, there
is no one to fight them off. Eva hides Dante in a closet to protect him,
telling him to stay there. She also tells him that if she doesn’t return, he
must run. Go far away, somewhere else, and start a new life, as someone else,
with a new name. She then goes to look for her other son, Vergil, whose
whereabouts are unknown at the moment.
Eva does not return. She is killed by demons. Vergil is still
nowhere to be found.
Dante is now without a family.
This is the precise moment when the
worth of those eight years, which are never described in the series, is made
clear.
Those eight years constitute the only period in Dante’s life where he was
truly, completely happy. In the times to come, this untainted memory remains
pristine in Dante’s mind, heart and soul, the only places where he can keep it
safe.
Realizing this simple fact reveals a depth to Dante’s character that is
unnoticeable at first. Suddenly, the light-hearted attitude, all the constant
quips and banter are revealed as a front. Dante’s devil-may-care way of life is
a result of the fact that on a personal level, he simply is not considered
about his own safety. Without a family, he has no one to live for. The only
thing that keeps him going is a lifelong grudge against the demons that took
them away from him.
In the anime, Dante is stoic and passive in his office, often subdued in his
solitude. In contrast, he is active and lively in the games, since the vast
part of the latter has him in actual combat situations. Dante comes alive when
he is fighting demons because it is the only time he feels alive. All his rage
is condensed into vengeance, manifesting in a brutal fighting style that is as
effective as it is reckless and beautiful.
Coming back to the sequence of events, however, a young, homeless Dante must
now travel, trying to run and hide from the demons who are still after him. All
while seeking revenge.
It is worthwhile to note that Dante’s superhuman strength, speed, healing
factor, reflexes, senses and supernatural powers are the result of Sparda’s
blood flowing through him. The manga implies that these abilities took time to
manifest properly, and revealed themselves as he matured. They also manifest in
response to immediate need. In the manga, Dante’s speed increases manifold when
he is fighting demons that push him further than he has ever needed to go
before. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that in addition to his nature, he
needed the right stimulus to develop. From Dante’s movements (swordsmanship,
hand-to-hand fighting, gunplay), it is clear that he possesses a very degree of
skill in those areas. Since each successive game chronologically has him more
powerful than the previous, it is likely his skills also develop with training
and experience. His moves show good form, and several of them appear to be from
actual martial arts. A fantastic example is what he does with various
gauntlet/greave sets over the course of the series, showing a variety of
techniques such as boxing jabs and uppercuts and kicks from tae kwon do and
capoeira. This, of course, is mixed in with some good old fashioned brawling:
double handed fists, ground slams, and more. In general, most of Dante’s
fighting seems to be based on formal martial arts, but modified in keeping with
his own experiences, and with his own personal flare added in.
This is interesting because my hypothesis is that Dante learnt to fight not by
training under anyone, but by watching others fight, and using their moves in
his own battles. His half demon body and demonic instincts would have helped
him pick up the moves quicker and alter them to suit his own enhanced
abilities.
Thus, the travelling Dante runs and hides, taking on foes when he feels he can
win, and often even when he knows he will lose. Through a combination of skill
and luck, he survives, and grows, getting stronger all the time.
A teenage Dante meets a woman named Nel Goldstein. At this time, Dante’s powers
have surfaced to the point where regular guns cannot handle the stress he puts
on them. He wrecks his weapons during every fight he gets into. Nel makes him a
special pair of handguns, Ebony and Ivory, which are up to the task of handling
his power, and they go on to become Dante’s signature prized ranged weapons. He
is almost never seen without them in any game.
Nel Goldstein also dies shortly afterwards, and thus, Dante loses the second
maternal figure in his life.
Dante is still in his teens at this point.
He has been killing demons in what seems like an endless war.
I often laugh when I see posts that call the original Dante edgy.
He was likely the most jaded teenager of all time. But there’s no time to feel
sorry for oneself in a world where you either hunt or get hunted.
Converting his sorrow into rage, Dante continues on in his lone crusade. But he
is cautious now. Behind his anger, the scars in his heart have hardened. He is
afraid of getting close to someone, and losing them again. Thus, he armours
himself in a shell of sarcasm and savage one-liners, a coat of self-deprecation
and mocking jokes.
It is this weary late teenage Dante we meet in DMC 3, which is the earliest
game in the series chronologically.
Of course, fate is not with the challenges she has in store for him.
His long lost brother, Vergil, is still alive, and has raised a tower in an
attempt to open a gate to the demon world. His goal: to retrieve the blade in
which Sparda sealed most of his power. To do so, he needs two things: his own
half of the perfect amulet, and the one in Dante’s possession.
Dante has mixed feelings about his brother being alive.
They have not met in years, and their paths have made them vastly different, to
the point where they are polar opposites.
If Dante is reckless, hot-blooded and devastating, preferring to overwhelm
opponents with a barrage of sword swings and bullets, Vergil is calm,
calculating and effective, choosing to methodically slice them to pieces with
his signature katana.
They are the perfect foils for each other, and with their father’s power, and
the fate of the human world at stake, they clash. Two different ways of life,
two different souls at odds with each other, colliding.
This conflict is heartbreaking, since both those souls hold the same vision of
perfect happiness.
Those eight flawless years they had as a family.
Gone, and never to return.
Those memories remain pristine in their hearts, but they have different ways of
honouring it.
Vergil, consumed with regret at not being able to protect his mother, views his
humanity as a weakness. He seeks his father’s power because he wants to become
a full demon, thinking that eliminating his human emotion and replacing it with
demonic power will finally allow him peace of mind.
Dante, on the other hand, has no clear goal other than vengeance. He hates his
demon side, viewing demons as disgusting and hateful because they robbed him of
his family. He also resents his father for leaving, going so far as to say at
one point that “he has no father”.
During the events of the game, Dante meets a human woman, Mary.
Mary has family reasons of her own for being involved in the conflict. Her
father, who also wishes to obtain Sparda’s power, had allied herself with
Vergil. He had, in the past, killed his wife, Mary’s mother, in pursuit of
demonic power, and Mart has come seeking the same thing as Dante: vengeance.
Through his meeting with her, Dante is forced to face all the things he had
tried to close off his heart to.
In an amazing section of the game, you play as Dante as Mary, now christened
Lady since she forsakes the name given by her father, fights Dante for the
right to proceed further. Lacking the supernatural powers of her opponents,
Mary must use an arsenal of weapons to keep up. But most importantly, she has
cunning… and sheer, unyielding courage.
Dante is moved by her resolve, and for the first time, truly sees humanity as
something other than a shackle.
Until now, having rejected his demon side, his humanity was simply the
by-default remainder he was left with.
He now sees that there is worth in that humanity: courage, love and hope; the
resolve to fight even when the odds are tough.
Dante embraces his humanity, and in doing so, finds a purpose that transcends
vengeance.
Protecting humanity.
As he travels the tower, he faces opponent after opponent, many of whom had
known Sparda. Having lost the first battle against Vergil, he was forced to
draw on his demonic side’s power, achieving a full demon form for the first
time. At this point, however, it is, to him, still a tool that he must use, and
nothing more.
But his impression of his own father gradually changes from meeting the many
demons who knew him.
Through their accounts, he can form a mental picture of the sort of person he
must have been. A look at the Sparda he didn’t know.
And the moment he chooses to protect humanity, he realizes the significance of
Sparda’s decision to do the same thing all those years ago.
He too had seen the worth of humanity.
This is when Dante inherits his
father’s spirit. In finding, like him, something to fight and defend, he can
relate to him. Being able to relate to the source of his demonic heritage means
Dante can finally accept it.
Thus, when Dante and Vergil clash a final time, it is mature Dante who is
unrecognizable from the tortured, angry teenager he was before. This is a Dante
who has found a higher calling, has lived through trials and tribulations and
developed a strong spirit. He has accepted his human emotions and his demonic
power, and combined the strength of both.
He has already become the Legendary Dark Knight Dante.
Vergil, on the other hand, who started off more mature, has failed to grow.
In truth, his power was simply a way to protect himself. Desperately wanting
family, and love, and having none of it, he compensates by desiring power, not
allowing himself to acknowledge his true desire.
The heart-rending finale of the game has Vergil descend into the underworld.
Having lost to Dante, he will not even allow himself to accept his failure.
This is tragic when one realizes that this was a moment when Vergil could have
simply gone back with Dante, and turned his life around.
Dante’s true goal, the perfect vision of happiness he has, is with Vergil,
while Vergil’s own vision has Dante.
Years pass, and many things happen.
In the real world, fans of the series go through an eleven year wait for a game
that seems it will never come.
But somehow, a miracle happens, and it does.
Devil May Cry 5 has an older Dante.
No matter the strength of his resolve, this Dante is simply tired of all the fighting.
His taunts are more subdued, his voice weary. Everything about his body
language in the cutscenes shows that the years of taking on many burdens alone
without having anyone he could truly relate to has taken its toll.
Here too, a miracle happens.
Somehow, Vergil has survived.
And the two have met again.
However, this time, Vergil has matured. Has learnt the value of his own
humanity, and accepted his nature as both demon and human.
And there is now Nero to protect the human world.
At long last, Dante can pass on the burden to someone capable of carrying it.
And at long last, Vergil will allow himself to go after his true desire, and
accept family and love, rather than thirst for power.
The game could very well have been called “Vergil’s Awakening”.
Both brothers have now ascended and
inherited their father’s mantle and spirit, and are finally free to live
together, in peace.
While still fighting all the time, of course.
